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<title>Just Save One by DeepDisiresLonging</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26027185">Just Save One</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepDisiresLonging/pseuds/DeepDisiresLonging'>DeepDisiresLonging</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Depression, F/M, Fluff, Nightmare, Non-Gender specific reader - Freeform, morning fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:02:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26027185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepDisiresLonging/pseuds/DeepDisiresLonging</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A nightmare wakes up the Reader. Dean helps them talk through what’s on their mind.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dean Winchester/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just Save One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>While I frequently do and don’t recommend writing while sleep deprived, sometimes that’s the best way to kick the junk out of your head. The only thing that belongs in your mind is you. Not the worries, not the fear. You. Your light, your hope, your plans for the future, no matter how short or long term they may be. Had to get this out. My world is about to change and I’m a little stressed. Hopefully this might help you too. Enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With that, you walked into the rain and never looked back. </p><p>That was the last time anyone saw you. </p><p>***</p><p>At least, anyone from your family. </p><p>Dean tightened his arm around your waist as you startled awake. “ ‘S okay,’ he mumbled. “Safe. Home. Bunker.”</p><p>While your heart raced in your chest, you worked on slowing your breathing. It didn’t matter how long you hunted with the Winchesters, or how many horrors you saw. The first monster you met was the most memorable. Life changing. Funny thing about memories. They forget the things you want and need to remember, and remember the things you’d rather forget. </p><p>Comfort eased back into your spine as Dean rubbed his thumb up and down on your stomach. “Sleep?”</p><p>“Probably not.”</p><p>He rolled on his back, cracking one eye to look at the clock on his nightstand. “Is there ever going to be a morning where you don’t wake up ten minutes before Sam busts in here with a case?”</p><p>A smile cracked across your face. “Would you rather he burst in here while you’re still asleep?” You turned to face him. “Didn’t you fall off the bed the last time he did that?” You bit your lip to keep from grinning at his glare. The turmoil still twisting in your stomach made you gasp. You leaned into Dean’s hand as he smoothed it across your cheek. </p><p>“Which one?”</p><p>“The first one. It’s always the first one.” Biting your lip again, you curled deeper into his chest. Sleep deprived and feeling your pain, his chest didn’t inflate as much as it usually did. But the slow rise and fall of it, combined with the tiny puffs of Dean’s breath against your hair, slowly pushed the nightmare out of your mind. </p><p>“You know you did everything you could.” His eyes were bright. Awake and clear when you looked at him. “None of it is your fault.”</p><p>“I know. It’s just- it’s- Do you ever lose that sense that this is all worth it? The loss, the sacrifice. I feel like every case we take, every monster we take out, it’s just me trying to make up for the times when I failed. Which has been plenty.”</p><p>Silence stretched between you. </p><p>Dean exhaled deeply. “Yes.”</p><p>You dipped your head, hoping to hide the icy tear under your eyelid. He slid in close enough to almost touch your noses together. </p><p>“Yeah, I lose hope every once in a while. But that’s why we gotta keep going. This life… we didn’t choose it. And it’s hard. Sometimes it feels like there are more losses than wins. But then… we save someone. They get to live their life. Maybe a little bit wiser of what’s out there in the dark, but life goes on. And each life we save is more than one. Because then they save people. Maybe not from monsters, but from whatever else Chuck throws at them. Bad days and nine to five jobs, and flat tires. We keep alive people who can smile and make each other laugh, and keep a spare in their trunk.” He took your hand, giving it a squeeze. </p><p>Your throat hurt. “What if that’s- if that’s not enough? What if I don’t feel enough?” Part of you was scared that you’d break Dean’s fingers, squeezing back so hard. But he never made a peep of pain. </p><p>“You know that’s okay, right?” Nosing you to look at him, he added, “it’s okay to be scared. I’m telling you: you are enough. It’s been a tough several months. But we’re gonna make it. I promise.”</p><p>He rested his forehead on yours, letting you cry in soft gasps and hiccups. His strong grip and even breathing eventually brought you back down from the terrified high you’d woken up with. When you’d recovered, he kissed the tip of your nose. Then he glanced at the door with a glare. </p><p>“Sam should have interrupted our moment by now.”</p><p>Like magic, a slip of paper slid under the door. </p><p>Chuckling, Dean wiped a stray from your tear and retrieved it. “Sick. Find your own case,” he read. He slipped back under the covers with you. “I dunno. I feel like I need a few days to recharge. Unless you want to find a case.” His green eyes glowed with whatever energy you needed. “Wouldn’t take much.”</p><p>Silently you shook your head. </p><p>He nodded. “Probably right. Hey, how about this: save Sam. He’ll drink himself into a spinach smoothie coma if we leave.”</p><p>That made you giggle. “Sounds good. Someone’s gotta keep him stocked on organic fruits. Can’t have him contaminating the farmer’s market.”</p><p>Dean scrunched up his nose. “Fine. You’re on fruit duty. I’ll do laundry… and keep us stocked with bacon.”</p><p>“Hmm, bacon and laundry.” You kissed him deeply. “You <em>are</em> a catch.”</p><p>He kissed back. Then murmured against your lips, “think Sam will heal faster if we have wild, loud sex?”</p><p>You slapped his shoulder and laughed. “Get dressed, laundry boy. We’ve got a sick patient to save.”</p><p>***</p><p>[[We’ve all got a little “want to save the world” in us. If you can save just one person in your lifetime, it’s okay if the one person is you. Take care of yourselves. If Supernatural has taught us anything, it’s that the Apocalypse doesn’t last forever. No matter how many of them hit. Find a small moment to thrive in the chaos. Start a new Pinterest board. Dethrone the government. Read that book that’s been sitting on your shelf for an eternity. Do whatever will save you. </p><p>We can do this. ]]</p>
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